The School for Government works with the Civil Service Policy Profession to offer high-quality, postgraduate-level education for mid-career civil servants in public policy and related subjects.
Delivered in a research-active and intellectually challenging environment, this offer equips policy professionals with the cutting-edge academic and practical skills needed to meet the pressing policy challenges they face in a rapidly changing world.
We combine the rigour and standing of a world-class education from King’s with the unique opportunity of bringing together experienced policy professionals as peers, to learn together, share perspectives, and cultivate an ongoing collaborative professional network – across ministries, departments, and policy areas.
We offer a flexible approach in our delivery, allowing policy professionals to choose from a range of short standalone online modules, or alternatively committing to a full Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma.
Programmes are taught using a blended format, allowing professionals to study with us around the continued demands of professional life, and wherever they are based.
For those participants completing the Postgraduate Diploma, there is also a separate option to upgrade to a full masters by completion of a final dissertation.
Transferable skills developed across the curriculum include:
- Undertaking complex policy problem solving tasks with minimum guidance, including the ability to apply knowledge, systematically analyse evidence, and structure presentations and conclusions.
- Directing one’s own learning to plan and complete projects at professional level, including skills related to time management, motivation and initiative.
- Communicating effectively, orally and in writing, drawing on a full range of learning resources and a range of media widely used in the organisations in which students work.
- Being self-aware, open and sensitive to diversity in terms of people, cultures, and policymaking contexts.
- Performing effectively within a team environment, developing leadership, team building and influencing skills.
The programme was an excellent opportunity to help improve and cement my own policy skills. Policy skills in government heavily rely on ‘learning on the job’. I found that the SfG diploma has given me greater academic rigour and structure when shaping policy decisions and programmes. I thoroughly recommend anyone interested in developing their policy career considers taking on the SfG programme to help bolster their skills and build a new network of policy colleagues and friends across government.
UK civil servant who undertook the Postgraduate Learning Offer